The government is to launch a consultation in March on proposals to make auto-enrolment simpler.
The proposals are based on feedback received since the implementation of the reforms began in October 2012. These include a list of areas that could benefit from practical and technical improvements, including:
- Making the assessment of the workforce easier.
- Making it easier for money purchase pension schemes to show these meet the quality requirements.
- Removing the duty to enrol particular groups, such as those who benefit from protection, because they already exceed the lifetime allowance for tax purposes.
Steve Webb, minister for pensions (pictured), said: “We’ve been listening to the experience of employers that have enrolled their workforce so far and recognise that some parts of the process could be improved.
“By consulting on these changes we can address this before automatic-enrolment is rolled out to small and medium-sized businesses.
“We don’t want to make changes to legislation lightly, but we do want to make sure that automatic-enrolment is working as well as possible.”
The cracks in the auto-enrolment dam are appearing already, and it looks like we are moving relentlessly towards more and more changes. Tinkering at the edges never works with new legislation and I think this is a knee-jerk reaction based on a lack of understanding of the size of the problem initially, and the realisation that 30,000 employers are hurtling towards the precipice of staging in the three months after April 2014.
A cynic might say that with a general election likely in 2015, there is now a growing realisation that upsetting middle England just before they have to vote is not a vote winner.
I have heard that changes might allow those employers with seasonal or fluctuating numbers of employees to estimate their assessment at the start of each year, and if the actual margin of error is within an acceptable range, then no adjustment would be required.
This is the thin end of the wedge and I can feel the very real icy grip of fear enveloping the ivory towers from which the good and the great of Westminster have continually over-promised on the success of auto enrolment and Nest.
The chickens are coming home to roost.
Making AE simpler isn’t just about the technical set-up of the schemes. What about the end user?
A number of simplifications which would not change the spirit of the legislation spring to mind. Here are three: (1) Making it easier for employees between 16 and 22 and/or with fluctuating earnings to make ONE decision (and then repeat annually/three yearly). (2) Reducing the complexity of the dreaded “letter templates” which scare most employees witless. (3) Look at the way decision windows really work in practice with payroll dates, postponement and pay periods. We should be telling employees IN ADVANCE that they will be in on such and such a date, that they can opt out within one month of this notification without penalty of loss of contributions, but after that they are “in” (until they leave!).
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